Sugarfoot (1951)

In Prescott we do not ask questions about other men. 1866, Jackson Redan (Randolph Scott) is a Confederate States Army veteran of the Civil War. He tries to rebuild his life by moving to Arizona Territory and arrives on a wagon train. His politeness and courtly Southern gentleman demeanour cause the residents of the town of Prescott to name him Sugarfoot. Among his new acquaintances are merchant Don Miguel Wormser (S.Z. Sakall) and saloon singer Reva Cairn (Adele Jergens). An enemy from Sugarfoot’s past, opportunistic Jacob Stint (Raymond Massey) has also moved to Prescott and pays unwanted attention to Reva. Redan rescues her, but afterwards treats her coldly. Wormser entrusts Redan with four thousand dollars which Stint then steals but Wormser forgives Redan. On business for Wormser, Redan makes a favourable deal, which earns him the enmity of Wormser’s rival, Asa Goodhue (Hugh Sanders). Redan reclaims the stolen four thousand dollars from Stint but is shot – just not fatally. Reva nurses him during his recovery, which thaws his attitude towards her. Stint and Goodhue continue to cheat the townspeople, so Redan finally learns to puts aside his courtliness … Every man is entitled to be careless once. This genial film has a lot of good things about it – well-tooled humour (the casting of ‘Cuddles’ Sakall is a sure indication), wit, a jaunty score from classic Hollywood legend and house composer at Warner Brothers Max Steiner and a terrific showcase for Jergens who gets to sing amusing lyrics and evidence feminist instincts. Real-life Virginia gentleman Scott is cursed with his character’s penchant for proper etiquette but is ultimately forced to face reality and his enemies and use his gun. Decent is not a good foundation for marriage. In between there’s a lot of funny writing and relationships particularly with Fly-Up-the-Creek Jones (Arthur Hunnicutt) and Mary (Hope Landin) who pushes Sugarfoot and Reva together despite the strains of their mutually exclusive financially independent intentions. Adapted by Russell S. Hughes from the novel by Clarence Budington Kelland, this is an easygoing, colourful western with a lot of satisfying moments. Directed by Edwin L. Marin. Out here you don’t fight to see what a true gentleman you can be, you fight to kill

Bend of the River (1952)

Anthony Mann directed a big cycle of wonderful westerns in the 1950s. This adaptation by Borden Chase of a book by Bill Gulick stars the redoubtable James Stewart, who was busy remaking the notion of the hero in that decade. He is taking a wagon train to Oregon so that 100 people can build a country from scratch. But his background hoves into view when he teams up with another man (Arthur Kennedy) whom he rescues from a hanging tree and whose outlaw life is altogether more recent and the film is structured as they both reconcile in their different ways to a new kind of life – or not. Rock Hudson shows up as a gambler and Lori Nelson offers the female support. There is some good comic banter with the captain of a steamer. Beautifully shot with the usual familial trouble and secondary villain tropes detectable in Mann’s work. This reminds us that a complex interesting, characterful piece of work could be done in 91 minutes. With Julie (Julia) Adams.